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Testing out the Dessy Dress

For those who travel for an extended period of time, you may start having time to go slower and enjoy your travels a lot more. You could even be thinking about doing nice dinners in restaurants or seeing a theater show. You could just want to dress up because you’re tired of wearing your beaten down chinos and khakis weeks on end.

I’ve always mentioned that everything you bring should do double duty. And for most of those who travel, you may have considered bringing one nice dress ‘just in case’. When it comes to a nice dress though, can it really do double duty?

I decided to test this theory out after seeing numerous pictures of bridesmaids (I know I sound like a wedding troll stalker. Trust me, Im not). The bridesmaids looked really good in their dresses. But there was the kicker, they were all in individual styles that really complimented each person, but they were essentially all wearing the same dress!

(Source: aisleperfect.com)

I checked out a few websites to suss out these convertible dresses. I finally settled on testing out the Dessy Twist Wrap Dress in a short style, since I think this would have been more versatile for travel. As for colour? They currently have 25 colors to choose from. But for me, I went with my failsafe colour. Pink!

So how was it to travel with?

It was actually pretty decent to travel with. In the sense that due to the long straps (that you adjust for your multitude of styles), it can actually pack quite thick. It’s also not the lightest dress you could have, so be prepared for slightly more weight as well. But the upside? The dress doesn’t wrinkle! And it stretches! Which means you don’t have to worry too much if you happen to try a little more local delicacies. I didn’t try to wash it by hand, which I assume could be more taxing, just due to those (again) long straps.

Was it useful to travel with?

There are six main shapes that you could create with this dress, though truth be told you may only be bound by your own limitations. Google up the videos or convertible dresses and you can see how even these six shapes have multiple permutations. Think you can only make one, one style shoulder dress? Wrong! Tie the top into a knot and you get a slightly different, more casual style.

Feel insecure about having a more bare back? Layer underneath with one of your favorite white t-shirts. Need to be able to enter temples? Layer a sheer sarong or lace over it.

In that sense, it was extremely useful to travel with. And it does let you realize your inner creative fashionista. Twisting and trying however you want. On my trip to the South of France, I easily brought it from day time sightseeing (a one shouldered toga top), to appropriate and more modest for dinner time with the family. All within one day! (and a quick hairstyle and shoe change as well).

Also, you can find different styles that can suit your own body and style, which means it’s pretty much flattering on everybody.

(My one shouldered toga in St. Paul de Vence)

(Going for dinner right after in Cannes – changed up the hair and the shoes)

Any downsides?

A few things you should be mindful of. The dress is originally developed for bridesmaids, which is why it can retain that air of ‘classiness’. It also means it doubles up as evening wear, and not all evening wear requires bras. It does require seamless thongs/ g-strings though. Essential since the fabric can make having seams very obvious.

If you do have issues with not wearing a bra/ having too exposed a back, you can always layer underneath with a tube top if you want to make it less obvious, or as I mentioned, just go all the way and layer it with a t-shirt or a collared shirt.

It also takes some practice to be able to wear this. In most cases, I take 15 minutes tops to get dressed. This includes hair and makeup. But the Dessy dress can be quite daunting if you’re in a time crunch (your boyfriend is telling you to hurry up). In which case, I advice you practice in advance (like when you just receive your dress) and to know by heart the styles you would like to test. Alternatively if you’re enjoying a slower trip, you can always take your time to try the different styles out.

Lastly, it can be a bit thick and heavy, so be mindful of how much space it would take in your bag.

All in all, I do still think it’s a great buy and a good travel outfit to have with you especially on long trips. It does take practice, but you could really have fun with it. And you’re guaranteed to always have something ‘dressy’ that could be pared down for sightseeing. Or something dressy in case you need it… like for when you’re a bridesmaid yourself.